Bugsy's Bugged Bug Chronicles
by SomecallmeMichelle
Summary: Bugsy has many roles in life, Face of the National Park, Gym Leader, The Bug Expert. Every role brings him into a different situation, but there are constants. Falkner's smugness over his birds, Misty's utter lack of avaliability to talk about them, and mush. The one constant he enjoys the most however is his best friend, and Confidant, Janine.
1. Chapter 1

If there was one thing to Azalea that Viridian lacked it was the relaxed and calm way that people carried on with their lives.

Bugsy didn't quite know what it was. Perhaps it was the proximity to the Pokemon League, or perhaps it had to due with the fact that it was a meddling place, bright eyed youngsters just starting on their journeys, mixed with veterans looking to defeat Blue and go on to face Lance. Bugsy supposed that having to accommodate both new and old trainers would shape a town.

But, then again, his hometown had literally elected a Slowpoke as its Pokemon. As much as he was taught to love the 'poke, and its deliberate way of doing stuff, as much as he had heard the story about yawn and a drought, he still prefered Bug Pokemon. He might have been young, but as the utmost expert on that kind of Pokemon he had tried multiple times to change the official Pokemon of the city. Not with much success, it turned out. Kurt always vetoed him. And trainers who came for the Pokeballs out of berries rarely if ever stopped at his gym.

He could almost imagine them scoff, _a bug gym? Are you kidding me_? It made it all the more satisfying when Bugsy showed them the move he had developed, he had called it Fury Cutter, a touch of the dramatic in the name, maybe, but that was the benefit to developing the technique. He got to name it. Either way there was nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a trainer's smile crumble as his scyther cut leaf, hyde and rock all the same, not giving any time for a break, just hitting over and over again.

Bugsy was humble enough to admit defeat when it did came. He enjoyed a good battle, even if he couldn't help but feel somewhat cheated when someone just came with a fire type in tow and blasted the arena with flames. All the way back to the walls of the building. Scyther could dodge bursts, and his butterfree could fly above them, but when the flames came in a wall, hazing up the air, and making breathing difficult there was little he could do.

Though at the moment he didn't exactly have access to the butterfree either. He carried with him Metapod and Kakuna. Bugsy had always been curious to the process of morphing that happened inside a cocoon and so he had taken to putting them side by side - though he could swear to hear grumbles of disapproval, caterpie and weedle hadn't exactly been on the best terms - and gently, oh so gently trace their every detail. Every protrusion and dent, every touch of the light.

Bugsy could get lost in the process. Sure it would be easier to photograph it, maybe even set it up so that the shutter was clicked every hour automatically. But Bugsy wasn't fooling himself, it was as much an exercise in enjoying himself as it was a pursuit of knowledge. He found it comforting to be surrounded by his pokemon, belly in the ground, legs upwards, sketching.

And besides photography failed to grasp every single detail and change. As life like as a photograph was, it didn't catch the small stuff. Bugsy might have been but a teen, of body and of mind, but he was a very perceptive one. It was in the scrawled notes and arrows pointing to small changes he did his research.

Bugsy doubted it would hold up with the authority of Oak and Elm, if he ever was questioned about it, but luckily none of them was clambering for his title. Nobody was really. He was the Pokemon Bug Expert. It wasn't exactly something known to bring him much accolades, but he was proud of it nonetheless.

The only time that he had ever been called for his opinion on bug type pokemon had been when Elm had been trying to understand breeding conditions of Pokemon. He had called Kurt who had told him. He had been very excited to discover Pokemon hatched from eggs. Bugsy hadn't known what world the Professor was living in, the daycare could have told him that, come to think of it, most trainers who settled down could have told him that. But no, he had gone to Bugsy.

What his Pokemon did when he wasn't looking was their business. Bugsy had long since passed the silkworm phase where he just stared and stared for hours at the box. He had a vague notion of the "how and why", and though it made his cheeks red thinking about it he knew it to be part of life.

But Elm had called him not only because he had discovered, by Ho-oh that such a thing as eggs existed, but also because he had thought that as fast as bugs grew, bug eggs would be the fastest to hatch. He had been right, Bugsy always had a heated up corner of his Gym for them to lay on, but Elm's next request had crossed the line.

He had asked him for a few eggs of his own. And while his research might have merit - bug expert or not, Bugsy didn't know about that. - And it would help increase the reputation of bug Pokemon, even if only in the academic world, he had refused. In fact he had straight up yelled at Elm when he had gotten the chance.

Maybe it was silly of him to yell like that. Yet Bugsy had seen _The Fly_ enough times to know that bugs and science experiments often went wrong. And he couldn't shake the idea of Elm, scalpel in hand, slowly inching towards the tiny defenseless eggs. The professor had seemed warm and friendly enough when they had talked. But Bugsy knew better. Everyone acted differently around insects.

It was one of the things that attracted him the most about bug Pokemon. Nobody remained indifferent to them. While dark types could scare, or pass unnoticed and steel types had an attitude that made it nearly impossible to ignore them, bugs needed no such loud cries. Just their very presence, their appearance, made people react, and not necessarily in the same way.

Some reacted with fright - all it had taken was him trying to show Misty the bugs to realise that she was scared of them. Some reacted with disgust - something that he would never understand, and then there were the ones who acted as if bugs were pretty coo. Bugsy enjoyed those the most.

In a way Bugsy lamented that as young boys grew, so did their taste, from caterpies, spinaraks and weedles to Dragonites and Tyranitars. To him his scyther was cooler than any dragon type could ever be. And how strong would a Tyranitar be? Surely its scales would crack under heracross' U-Turn or under the strong grip of a Pinsir?

Speaking of, Bugsy turned to move. One thing that bug watching and catching had taught him had been patience. Sure Falkner could claim the same with his birds - Arms extended to the talons - but none of that compared to the feeling of bugs just passing through the sun and into the shadow - inches from him and yet so totally unaware. He loved to just sit and watch them pass by, crossing his eyes into following them.

While Ilex was right next to home and a good enough amount of insects climbed its tree branches and walked its foliage, and while the National Park had his official seal of approval, and he had won their Bug Catching Contest so much he didn't partake anymore, it was in Viridian Forest that he most liked to catch them.

Far gone were the days where he used a net. Though he could occasionally spy a boy in shorts, catching them, and that always made his heart swell, he had changed his method of capture. Why wait for them to come to you? Spreading some bait, he could more easily catch them - even more so when he had a regular shipment of Kurt's special pokeballs. It was similar to the Combee catching methods Aaron used, in that he spread it over tree sap and all around the floor and waited. But it wasn't honey.

It was a rather foul smelling thing indeed. Whenever he walked into Saffron and the customs official asked him if he had anything to declare he was always rushed along. Benefits of mush. Bugsy couldn't help but have a smile at that.

So he had come to the Viridian Forest. It was not the first time he had skimmed on Gym leader duty. Every Leader in Johto, and most in Kanto did the same. After all, they had their lives to live.

Why it had been in Viridian Forest that Falkner had caught his Pidgeotto, and inevitably where there's birds there's insects. While Wingull did feed on fish, those were a rarity. Most bird pokemon fed on bugs.

It was a visceral brutal display that made Bugsy sick to his stomach whenever he just so happened to catch it. As the face of the National Park - or at least the Bug Catching Contest, on the National Park he knew better than anyone about the order of things. Bugs were weak to Flying, as Falkner loved rubbing in whenever they did meet. And yet despite that superiority Pidgeotto faced the sharp blades of scyther and stood a respectable distance. Bugsy didn't blame him. He had make it perfectly clear who he'd place his Poker chips on.

It wasn't as if Bugsy was tired, for the journey from Goldenrod to Saffron had provided him with a chance to rest. It was just that the scene - ever so peaceful, just him, hearing the crick crack and rustling of leaves as bird Pokemon passed, a small sketchbook by his hand, bugs crawling all around him to get to the tree sap he had enhanced with his personal mix, it felt nice. He felt like he could close his eyes and rest for a bit.

It wasn't the most comfortable of beds, loose leaves that crinkled whenever he shifted, a few pebbles stuck in his his eyes felt heavy. He had come in search of Beedrill, the largest hive of Beedrill was situated here, so he was set to find a few lone ones, but he fought a losing battle against sleep. While he kept his ears wide open to the soft buzzing that would indicate one approaching, he had yet to hear any.

To some it would be their biggest nightmare, sleep in the ground, covered by insects, letting them crawl over themselves. But to Bugsy it was just relaxing. He didn't find it particularly weird, Didn't trainers sleep in near their Pokemon all the time? To him it was no different than relaxing in a hot tub after a stressful day. And his Scyther stood guard, in case anyone got cheeky.

Bugsy trusted that scyther with his life, it was his ace, his strongest and yet loyalest friend. He was the closest thing to a brother he had, and yes he was aware of how crazy a statement it was. But no words were necessary, only a nod, and they understood each other.

Were they siblings perhaps they'd sparr and get angry at each other more often as it stood, it wasn't the fact that Bugsy held the power in the relationship inherently that stopped them from fighting. It was their keenship. They were, in his mind equals.

There was a reason for his olive green shorts, and for his low stance. It helped him blend in. And while that provided him with some shelter, and some safety, it wasn't the only reason he did so. The fermented musk didn't assault his nose, not anymore, he had grown used to create it. But it was a dead giveaway of his position. While it would be subtle, easily confused with a thousand other droppings and other scents in the forest, he knew better.

Not to the greatest detective with the nimblest feet in all of Kanto and Johto. To ask otherwise would be pointless. She always found him. And in many ways he was glad.

He was in for a awakening, as he closed his eyes he only hoped it would be the touch of a finger, and not the tip of a sword, or a smoke bomb this time.

Now at peace, and bidding the inevitable, he closed his eyes. She would come along shortly, but for now, rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Bugsy was awoken by a very unpleasant, very wet, and very sticky feeling to his chest. He half wondered if he had dozed off and the Beedrill he had hoped to attract had taken the chance to run webbing around them, using their infants, the Weedle, to do so. String Shot, a natural wonder which was used in clothing and in high end cuisine. Why Bugsy knew a guy who asked him for any spare strings he could find around the gym, Bugsy could have charged ridiculous amounts for them, but he didn't, he was just glad to share the Bug love.

He was pulled out of his fantasy of bug comfort by a very annoying, and very familiar voice, he opened his eyes, and yup, there she was, what with her smirk. Honestly Bugsy liked her as a friend, but when she came at him with that "Know it all, I'm better than you" attitude he just tried to ignore her. Of course he couldn't now, when instead of the tip of a mock wooden sword, she had him trapped. It was not string from a bug, it was solidified smog. He hadn't caught the smell at first so used to the smells of bugs and his bait he was but the bright purple color was a dead giveaway. How had he missed that?

"Hey stink bug!", she said and Bugsy rolled his eyes at the familiar pet name he had. She had come up with it so many years ago and still used it like it was a clever thing. It was really not, but who was he to dismiss it? This was Koga's daughter, no matter how how many times he tried to appeal to her honor and sense of respect, she wasn't interested. She was the next gen.

In fact she had made some pretty radical changes to the Gym she now commandeered, it looked completely different from when her father had been in charge. They had shared design tips and tricks. While Koga had been very much into the old guard, the way of the ninja, the way of the tricks and explosions into puffs of smoke Janine was more into the explosion part of it. Why be subtle? That was a question that she had asked every which way. And though her steps were light, she had been trained by her father, and didn't make much noise, trainers who made it through to her Gym would find that while it paid homage to her father, it also stored a few new surprises…

And yes, the strings had come from Bugsy. Bugsy who had been surprisingly easy to find and who had dozed off. She had decided to play a little trick on the Bug specialist. Making sure that the Scyther didn't attack her for it, something that would never happen as he trusted her, and so did Bugsy, she approached and released the gunk. Gunk that was quick to solidify. Scyther look disapprovingly, and its blade gleamed in the sunlight, ready to cut his trainer out if he deemed it necessary.

Most people wouldn't allow a Scyther, no matter how well trained, to approach them with its blade. They were afraid of it. To think! Bugsy had declared many times he trusted him with his life. He had often joked that when it came time for shaving he'd hold the arm of his Pokemon and bring it against his jaw.

Not that Bugsy shaved, not yet. In fact he was often confused for a girl, something that mortified him. Sure his face was devoid of hair and his hair was kind of long - until a certain point - but there had to be a limit to that no? Yet time and time again people confided to him they were surprised by his gender that he took it in stride. He just smiled. Did a wurmple not have multiple possible evolutions? One of the things that had attracted him to bugs was the sense of wonder. They could literally change everything about them. And Bugsy never quite knew what to expect.

Why just the other day Bugsy had seen a differently colored bug. Closer looks revealed it to be a caterpie but it stood yellow, like a weedle, and not green at all. The world of bugs was as vast as it was amazing, and Bugsy knew he still had a lot to learn about it.

"What'chu thinking about?", Janine said literally snapping him out of his contemplation. Bugsy didn't need Scyther as he jerked so hard the smog dissolved into threads, dropping him almost half a feet. Bugsy gave a cross look to Janine who was laughing. She only laughed harder.

That was the Janine he knew. She had failed many of her father's exercises due to being unable to sit still or stay quiet. She was a real chatterbug, a bug, Bubsy knew, didn't exist.

Janine certainly did though and if his butt was any indication she was still a pain in it. She was completely incapable of just sitting quiet and thinking, which was weird, as that was, from what Bugsy understood, a big part of the whole ninja Persona Koga had cultivated.

"Just stuff", Bugsy knows that if he admits he's contemplating his ignorance, that'll be something else she'll tease him about. They're friends, and friends tease one another, but sometimes Bugsy just wants some peace and quiet. Speaking of, his bait should be paying of by now. Even with his fall, they've been pretty quiet. Although Janine talking talking might have scared some of them away. She's loud like that, and to be honest Bugsy loves her for it.

It's commonly understood by many that Johto and Kanto, while they share the same league and the same general set of costumes, are completely different regions. Not so much in bugs, while Ledibas for instance are exclusive to Johto, his many travels to Kanto and his friendship with Janine make him think that there's not really much of a separation

It Scratch that, it's not only generally understood, it's what Bugsy learned at school. Whatever school he has, Lance can be irresponsible but Will and Bruno make sure he has a sharp mind. Forcing every underage gym leader to at least learn. Either way, Bugsy sometimes sneaks to catch bugs. The Ilex forest, the Viridian one where he stands - heck he once visited the Petalburg Woods. They're all pretty much the same, dark, confusing mazes of high grass and trees that obscure the vision, and Bugsy likes them just so. Those are wild untamed woods, and the dark crevices and humid spots make for good living conditions for bugs.

Either way Bugsy finds it hard to see Janine as a foreigner - or his trip to Viridian forest as a tourist visit. To him they're just two halves of a whole, super close and barely separated by a river. Any Johto trainer can easily pass it. Not Bugsy, who took the Saffron high speed train, but that is a perk of being a gym leader. It pays well.

She heard some adults discussing whether or not it should be legal for children to hold the Gym leader position, and boy had that made him mighty mad. He usually was a very chill guy, just taking everything in stride and keeping quiet he had answered back. It had been one of the few times he had, along with that ocasion with Kurt and Elm and the eggs. Of course he enjoyed what he did. He failed to see how their attempts at improving his conditions and stop his exploration, would do anything but take him out of the most kickass job he ever had.

It was only the only job he had ever had. Of course kids earned money by defeating trainers and adults in pokemon battles, the money ever switching, but he didn't really see them holding jobs. Sure some worked as apprentices and some worked on the farms up North, near Mahogany, but none of them held, for instance retail jobs.

Ultimately Bugsy was like that, quiet by design, but a darn good trainer, and he spent every minute of his life thinking about bugs. Of course his tutor got pretty mad. But what of Geography and Geopolitics? They didn't matter to Bugsy. He was glad to leave all of that dorky stuff in the head of the Slowpoke worshipper, the hater of Scyther's, Kurt.

Sure he was a celebrity and the face of the sleepy little town he had his gym in. But that did not mean much in the grand scheme of things. They couldn't have it both ways, they couldn't have him be ignored because he was just a kid and then expect him to be aware and educated on issues. Will could tell him that it was important all he'd like. He had his focus, and that was how things were.

But how to explain that to Janine "Already distracted from the question" the Gym leader? She stared at the trees, as if enjoying the shadow. Bugsy could relate, who knew what small bugs, and Bug Pokemon lurked there. It was exciting to think about!

"So where are the bugs? I could smell you miles away, you know my father always told me that I should develop the senses, not that I needed it to find you, you stink, stink bug!"

Bugsy shook his head, amused. Careful where he stepped he glanced at the trees. For a ninja she really wasn't very observant. Bugsy could pratically feel the bug life that surrounded him. One of his favorite things about bugs was how abundant they really were. From the spider in the corner of his bedroom to the ants that passed under his could look at any dark spot and see at least a dozen.

It was a lot to take in, and something he didn't exactly mention to people. Not when, and he could honestly not understand that, they feared bugs. To mention that they were pretty much everywhere, around, under and even oover, would make them freak.

Bugsy was seen by many as a kid, but the truth was, he had a passion and he focused his every effort in it. Grabbing one of Janine's hands, accutely aware that if she wanted she could flip him and kick him so hard he would be seeing stars, he pointed towards the trees in front of them. They were hidden by bushes, in the shadow of a tree. The same tree that he had fallen asleep next to.

The Weedle ate the bait, and the Beedril hovered around protectively, protecting their young. Bugsy had made sure to put the bait all over the tree. Weedles were notorious for their ability to climb.

In a way this was what he had come here to see, rather than capture them, he wished to study them. Like a safari - but without all the tropical pokemon. It was just bugs, and he knew bugs better than anyone.

He didn't think himself to, in the future be a Pokemon Professor, no, that was not in his plans. But he did think that his childhood - now teenhood, fascination with bugs wouldn't disappear. Bugsy gently slipped a sketch pad from his pockets. There was a reason he kept notebooks and journals there. Pulling up a pen, and careful not to rustle the bush or the ground where he gently got on his knees he drew.

It was small, but very detailed, from the light fuzz of the Beedril's to the suction pads of the weedle. The way the light reflected on their forming spiked horn. It was beautiful. Bugsy held his breath as he drew, completely consumed by the activity.

Scyther was by his side, ready to jump if any of the Beedrill detected them, but there was no need for that. Janine held her hand as if it had been burned by Bugsy, watching attentively, she loved when he got like that. So very, very intense, with his hobby.

For a few minutes, the world sat still, as Bugsy captured every detail, then slowly, as if the moment was too precious to simply comment, he got up and guarded the notebook, then he smiled.

"Saw them?", Janine could only nod.

"Good!"

Bugsy grabbed a metal ball and gestured to Scyther, while he had a policy not to hunt the yougnlings, and he hatched his own eggs, it'd be a shame to come so far and not capture at least one specimen. One Kanto Pokemon. If it was really all that different from Johto. Even though he couldn't detect any difference.

He jumped, the Beedrill looking at him and Scyther placed in front of him ready to defend his trainer. Janine assumed a fighting stace grabbing a Pokeball of her own.

It was battle time.


	3. Chapter 3

When Bugsy had been elected Gym Leader he had been tasked with the very important task of finding just how experienced trainers who came for the Bug Type Gym were. After all, Lance needed his challengers - he was supposed to test them, and try to defeat them, but not provide an unsurpassable barrier. The League didn't want trainers to camp at Azalea town. They wanted them stronger, tougher, but not demotivated. With all that said Bugsy had to steer the conversation there somewhat.

It was usually easy, when he talked trainers tended to listen, even if they were older, more experienced there was just something about the position of authority he was placed in, a position where he had to test them, that made them listen. He tried to be friendly about it, and totally inconspicuous. A simple nod and an excited "Hey, nice to meet you, how's your journey been" typically worked. Trainers, Bugsy found, were quick to share their stories. It was as if they were a lonely bunch, traveling through the region and any sort of human contact was blurted out and enjoyed. They also, Bugsy found, prone to catchphrases.

Janine on the other hand didn't quite care much for subtleties. Leaning over their shoulder, threatening despite her small stature, trying to glimpse at the amount of badges they had. Sometimes she straight up demanded they pull their badge case out of their pockets or backpacks - league issued - mass produced, so every trainer had one. As essential to the journey to the Pokemon League as a Pokemon. Scanned and analysed at the beginning of the Victory Road.

Still in their different methodologies, both trainers found that, in finding out just how many badges a trainer had they rarely got the chance to go all out. Sure their senses were sharp, and every Pokemon battle left them sweating and satisfied, but there was something about holding back that didn't provide them with the full satisfaction they could achieve. Bugsy didn't have that problem with wild Pokemon however. It might be unfair to expect them to deal with the same strength he had imparted on his own, through arduous training and a rigorous schedule - that to be fair was often broken. - But he didn't have Will, Lance or whomever else hovering over his shoulders telling him what to do.

There was also the fact that he wanted to catch the Pokemon to take into consideration. Scyther, by his side blades gleaming prepared for attack looked at him, and Janine at his other side practically shook in impatience. She was not one to wait, and he realised that he'd been so embroidered in his thoughts he had forgotten to order an attack. He got like that sometimes, often enough that the silence before a gym match had to be interrupted by the trainer challenging him in a vast amount of cases.

"C'mon stink bug, either you do it, or I do it", right, the battle. Bugsy barely needed to talk as he ordered that he his Scyther moved forward. Truth be told the Scyther could very well win the battle on its own, without any further instructions, but it was only proper, Bugsy felt.

It was over as fast as it began. With a sharp cry the Pokemon assumed a defensive stance but it was not very effective against Scyther's blades. Few things were. Scyther knew exactly where to hit and what to hit, just enough to leave it dangling. Most insects, Bugsy knew, didn't't exactly breath, at least not the same as humans. But he could swear to see it panting. It stared at him with bright eyes. Hovering dangerously low.

Bugsy didn't hesitate, he moved forward and gently pressed a hand to the back of the Beedrill. Janine tried telling him that wasn't such a hot idea, hand outstretched, but he didn't listen. As the bug expert he knew exactly what to do. To see such a strong and mighty creature befallen!

The Kakuna rested against the shade, and the weedle looking unsure. The other Beedrill had fled back in outrage, leaving Bugsy alone with the lone one. That was a good name, he thought, as he gently pelted it.

The fuzzy feeling of her back brought him calm as he gently applied pressure. It would do little to dispel the pain it was sure to be feeling, but he (for Bugsy had checked and it was indeed a he), still presented itself to Bugsy, allowing him to offer comfort. Comfort Bugsy happily provided.

It was a thing of careful balance, to come so close to a bug Pokemon. While most were as harmless as well - a fly. - some carried a high opinion of themselves, and as Bugsy had learned, pride tended to get over the head of some people, as well as Pokemon. Beedrills were notorious for that. As were Scythers in general. Though Bugsy shared such an intrinsic and deep bond with his friend and companion, and they respected one another so much, he felt no fear. Still, Beedrill was easier to handle. Just a slow and steady approach, careful, so as to not spook it or otherwise reveal aggression. At the same time he had to show himself as capable, that was the main thing. Satisfied, and pacified the Beedrill allowed the touch of the metal sphere against his body, the soft light absorbing it. Bugsy held it, without fear, for he knew that there would not be any shakes, nor any attempts at breaking free.

It takes a couple of seconds, but with a click the Pokeball closed and he pocketed it. Bugsy felt it pressing against one of his many pockets, hand against his chest. He smiled, as he moved to rejoin Janine.

Janine was unusually quiet, her eyes wide. Bugsy had to be the one to poke her on the shoulder for her to jump - an impressively high one, fit for a ninja. - and come back to earth.

"That was nice", she mumbled, so low that for a second there Bugsy thought her to be (finally) following her father's training. It was a momentary thing, one that seemingly left her lips without she realising it. Bugsy could have taken the chance to tease her about it, but Bugsy didn't really feel like it. She was her friend, and sometimes she just had those moments, quiet mumbles of admiration for Bugsy. They made Bugsy feel good about himself, but not to the point of gloating. He had the feeling that if he ever did, she would hold whatever admiration she had inside of herself, never voicing it.

And bugsy enjoyed those solitary moments where he got to see Janine for what she was. Sure she was boisterous and loud, and she was so pretty much all the time. So often that it was her default state of being. Bugsy couldn't imagine himself in such a way, always yearning for action, but it so that Janine was. That didn't mean he didn't enjoy her for who she was, or that her naturally over the way ways passed unnoticed and unappreciated, but, truth be told it could also be kind of draining.

Bugsy so ignored the need to say anything, enjoying the silence, and he shook his head. Viridian forest was big and expansive, bigger than the Ilex one, but he knew his way around. Now with a new Pokemon he moved to reconsider his route. First though, he once again picked up the drawing supplies. While he was pretty much done with the sketch, that didn't mean he wouldn't get to carry it, and examine it. Bugsy entered such a deep state of relaxation, drawing, that he truly didn't see what he was putting to paper. He followed realism as much as it was possible, after all his intent was nothing if not representing the different stages of a bug's Pokemon growth, but he had earlier in his career had some he dared called them, slips.

For how could he not when bug Pokemon were truly awesome and something he was quite passionate about? Regardless of that he tried his best to stick to the confines of what reality presented. That didn't diminish just how amazing the pokemon were, in fact his imagination could never quite come up with something as awesome as it.

Bugsy silently moved through the forest, taking notice of the bugs everywhere, and the Pidgeys too. He didn't whisper a word even as Janine seemed to regain her sense of overbearing confidence and insisted on talking to him. To her questions he only replied with a nod, or perhaps a wave, which only seemed to make her more intent on getting a reply. It was an unfortunate facet of their relationship, the fact that his silence could be interpreted not as a choice, but as an active of rudeness. When she pushed herself in front of him, just after Bugsy tipped his net - for he had no had, to a smallish bug catcher, who roamed the tall and unkempt grass in search of bugs, he figured he has to reply.

He held his net - not that he used it much, but how else would he be recognised as a bug catcher - sideways, he prepared himself for whatever barrage of words would come out of Janine's mouth. Though he loved her dearly - as a friend. - Some things were better off not avoided for too long. Bugsy had the feeling that if he kept ignoring her, he'd find himself trapped in smog again. It had already happened once. He was aware of the lingering smell on his clothes. Not as bad as the bait, but still. He had to change.

"Yes?", eyebrow raised, Bugsy questioned his friend. Whatever could she want, besides his attention? Heck maybe that was all she wanted. Janine had the very common, as well as very unpleasant character trait of demanding his full attention when they were together, whether they'd be Pokemon battling, or speaking in some uber important event. Bugsy had lost count of the times she had made a face trying to distract him.

It was not as if Bugsy didn't appreciate the attempts at making him smile. They were fun, and the relief they provided over boring affairs was very much appreciated. In fact Bugsy had come to expect them. They were one of the highlights from when Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders reunited, whether for a boring dinner or even to talk to the press. However it could be a bit of a nuisance when he was actually trying to focus.

"Whoah, stink bug, you look serious!", and, that was it took for Bugsy to realise that in hsi silence he might have given out the impression that he was distant, cold and aloof. Bugsy was far from being any of those things. He was going for the whole approachable act. Even as a Gym Leader.

It wasn't a conscious decision, but Bugsy had long since decided that he would try to get to know trainers and their problems, before quickly dispatching them with a Pokemon battle, winning - or losing! In the process. It was one of the things she appreciated about Misty, though she, for whatever reason, didn't enjoy bugs - something he would never understand - she was kind and gentle to trainers who came by her.

Of course, Bugsy had his own ways of handling trainers who came by him. They were similar in many a way, and yet somewhat differed. Bugsy was always ready to talk, as he found most journeys to be a exercise in loneliness, and he was quick to share his food - even if some trainers refused it once they learned that it was to be shared near the bug Pokemon. Whatever could be said of him, Bugsy did try. His quiet ways were in no way unique, but that, coupled with his caring nature, meant that trainers who made it to Azalea, where the Slowpoke was king, were always surprised to meet him.

And at that Bugsy had to sigh, because even though he was in many ways fortunate - he was educated, and whenever he got feisty in battle, that could be justified by his Gym Leader status - he was still a footnote in Johto, and very much more in Kanto. Bugsy wasn't looking for notoriety, notoriety he found, often came about because of bad stuff, and it had its own set of bad consequences. He had his accolades, he was the face of the Bug Catching Contest of the National Park. He couldn't be prouder of that!

In the end, perhaps Janine was right. He was serious. It was like a set of worries and expectations had been placed by him. And they had compounded, even as he had taken the day of to watch bug Pokemon and to travel.

Bugsy smiled.

"You're right, I'm sorry", Bugsy felt the inside of his jacket, one of his many pockets. "I've got to go heal this little one, but what do you say I treat you to a snack later? My treat?"

An idea had formed in his head, it wasn't as if, as a Gym Leader, he didn't have his coffers full. More money than a kid - or well, even an adult could very well spend. And Janine was, to him, the personification of laughter and of an easy going attitude. It was a very different kind of easy going than Bugsy's, while he was relaxed, she was more frontal, more direct, downright intense.

But she was a loyal friend. And the Saffron line would have more rides. Even if he got a little bit delayed. What was the worst that could happen? Very rarely did he have contenders to the badge of the Bug Gym Leader.

Janine's eyes widened, and Bugsy wondered if he had worded it poorly. It was not a date, and he hadn't intended it to be. Even so she accepted it. With a quick and humourous "never say no to free food.", only one thing was wrong, as he smelled around him.

"Maybe I'll take a shower first - if you don't mind.", he hadn't planned to stay more than a day, but he had a room anyway. Viridian, as a place where both old and new trainers meshed, had recently expanded to include a few hotels, both the fancy kind and the cheap kind. As they walked out of the shade of the trees, and made the trek to Viridian, Bugsy couldn't help himself, once more he smiled.

He'd meet with her later.


End file.
